This Image Is From Colombia and Not Related to the Wreckage of President Raisi’s Helicopter
The Claim
Iran's President's American-made Bell 212 helicopter had nine people on board, all of them dead.
News posted on
Emerging story
Recently, social media users have been circulating an image claimed to be the wreckage of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be misleading, as the photo is outdated and unrelated to the helicopter crash involving the Iranian president and his companions.
The Brazilian Football Team’s Plane Crashes
The circulating photo dates back to November 29, 2016, and shows the wreckage of a plane carrying the Brazilian football team Chapecoense before it crashed in the mountains near Medellin, Colombia.
At the time, Colombian authorities reported that 76 out of 81 passengers died in the plane crash, with only five passengers surviving.
The Bolivian Airlines plane (Lamia) was coming from Bolivia with 72 passengers on board, including the team's players and a crew of nine members, when it crashed due to an electrical fault.
Several bodies were recovered in a rugged area while five passengers, including three players from Chapecoense, and two crew members, were rescued alive.
The Iranian President’s Plane Wreckage Has Been Found
The head of the Iranian Red Crescent announced the discovery of the wreckage of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his accompanying delegation in East Azerbaijan Province, northwestern Iran.
The Iranian official stated that Red Crescent search and rescue teams had arrived at the site of the helicopter crash carrying the president.
Earlier, an Iranian official told Reuters that the president's plane was completely burned due to the crash.
President Ebrahim Raisi and His Companions Declared Dead
Iran announced this morning, Monday, May 20, 2024, the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and several other officials following the crash of their helicopter yesterday, Sunday, in East Azerbaijan Province, located in northwestern Iran.
The helicopter crashed in the rugged mountainous area of Julfa amidst harsh weather conditions as the President was returning from an event he attended yesterday morning, Sunday, along with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev. The event was the inauguration of a joint dam on the Aras border River between the two countries.
The announcement of the death of the 63-year-old Iranian President and his companions came after a challenging search operation involving dozens of rescue teams amid dense fog and strong winds.
Read More
This Video Predates The Recent Helicopter Incident Involving The Iranian President
